1. Field of the Invention
This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 204,352, filed June 9, 1988. The invention relates generally to parking meters, and more specifically, to a clutch means for the actuating handle of an angularly displaceable type used in a parking meter.
2. The Prior Art
Parking meters are generally provided with an angularly displaceable actuating handle, for example, a handle that can be grasped in the fingers of a user and turned to set the time on the meter and actuate the other mechanisms within the container formed by the meter housing, thereby to initiate the action of the timer mechanisms that regulate the operation of the meter.
Parking meters are susceptible to extremely difficult environmental operating conditions, particularly at the hands of vandals who seek to thwart the effect and efficient operation of the meter, or who purposely inflict damage upon the mechanism. For example, it is not at all unusual for vandals to use mechanical aids of one kind or another for the purposes of applying excessive torques to the actuating handle in an effort to distort the operating mechanism of the meter or in an effort to actuate the operating mechanism of the meter without making a proper deposit of the necessary coinage.
In my prior application, Ser. No. 204,352, filed June 9, 1988, I disclose a break away means for preventing damage resulting from such vandalism. Another type of vandalism encountered by parking meters is so-called "banging time." In this type of vandalism, a coin is inserted into the meter and the handle associated therewith is rotated until the coin engages the pick-up lever that engages the timer mechanism. Once the coin engages the pick-up lever, the handle is struck through the remainder of its rotation with an appropriate object such as a hammer or piece of pipe. The inertia generated by this rotation can cause the meter to register up to double the proper time.